


glistening eyes, damp skies

by unweavetherainbows



Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rain, Self-Esteem Issues, Tears, but it's okay bc woon is there!!, hakyeon is a Sad :(, wow i didn't know u could tag the weather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 17:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16123343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unweavetherainbows/pseuds/unweavetherainbows
Summary: One year after their debut, the sun falls out of the sky and into Taekwoon's hands.





	glistening eyes, damp skies

**Author's Note:**

> so I'm in between updates rn and I was in a hurt/comfort mood, and then I was like...who better to comfort than our bby boy hakyeon?  
> this fic also deals with some sensitive topics and I tried to approach them in an ethnorelative way, but if colourism and self-esteem issues trigger you, pls check out my other fics for something lighter<3  
> for a more immersive experience, I highly recommend listening to rain sounds or soft thunder to rly feel the mood of the piece.  
> enjoy our sad!yeon and comforting!woon<3

Their apartment is dark when Taekwoon enters. The blinds have been drawn, and rain patters softly against the windows, thunder booming in the distance. Quietly closing the door, he slips his bag onto the chaise in the foyer, toeing off his shoes. The apartment is silent save for the sounds of the storm; Taekwoon vaguely remembers the others saying that they were heading out somewhere before he left.

He heads out of the foyer, slowly rounding the corner into the living room. Their couch has its back to him, and Taekwoon glances beyond it. The TV is muted, its flashing lights bathing the room in a blue-ish glow, and it takes him a second to recognize the scene on the screen. Their debut is still fresh, and Taekwoon isn’t used to seeing himself on TV yet.

It’s a recent performance of theirs, and as the camera pans in on Hakyeon’s face, the video stops and rewinds. Once again, the camera zooms in. Once again, the video rewinds.

Taekwoon goes around the sofa, settling on one of the cushions. The TV pauses suddenly, freezing on an open-mouthed Hakyeon in full performance makeup. The pile of blankets to Taekwoon’s right shifts, the remote suddenly thrown carelessly onto the floor.

“You look great, you know.”

The pile of blankets laughs wetly. “Yeah, thanks.”

There’s too much space between them, but Taekwoon doesn’t know how to do this. When the others break, when they fall apart, Hakyeon is always there. He picks them up, dusts them off, and stitches them back together. Taekwoon doesn’t know how to do this, because no one ever stopped and thought to prepare for when Hakyeon is the one torn at the seams.

Taekwoon moves closer, just by an inch. “You always do well, Yeonnie. You know that.”

Hakyeon turns away from him, curling in onto himself. He doesn’t reply, his head drooping onto the armrest of the couch, and Taekwoon suddenly burns with the need to touch him. But he’s _not_ touchy. That’s Hakyeon’s job.

“Yeonnie?”

The nickname seems to put Hakyeon off even more, and he fully shifts his body away from Taekwoon, almost hugging the armrest entirely. Taekwoon glances from the frozen Hakyeon on the screen, fiercely confident in his performance, to the startlingly wilted Hakyeon in front of him now. He wonders if people would understand that they’re the same person.

The rain picks up, blanketing the room in soft white noise. Taekwoon pushes himself an inch closer, moving along the couch. His foot nudges something on the floor, and Taekwoon glances down, squinting to make out what’s on the floor. He stoops, picking it up.

Whitening product.

Taekwoon leans over again, feeling around on the floor. Bottle after bottle, product after product, they’re everywhere, Hakyeon’s beauty basket seemingly upended in a fit of anger. Tissues litter their coffee table, along with a half-empty bottle of merlot. Taekwoon’s heart cracks, just a little.

“Hakyeon.” His voice is gentle, imploring.

Hakyeon doesn’t move. Taekwoon can’t even see him through the swathe of blankets, only the top of his head peeking out.

“Hakyeon, I—”

“I’m okay, Taekwoon. Really.” Hakyeon still isn’t looking at him, but his voice is pitched higher than usual, like he’s trying too hard to sound happy. “Thanks, though! I’ll clean this up before the kids come home.”

When reality shows ask Taekwoon what Hakyeon is to him, he knows what type of answer that they’re looking for. They want him to say a nuisance, a bother, a troublemaker. And it’s not like all of those things aren’t true, because they _are._ Cha Hakyeon is Jung Taekwoon’s favourite nuisance, his kindest bother, his most revered troublemaker. But more than that, Hakyeon is the sun, the center of their group that pulls them all together. Like planets, they orbit, sometimes happily, sometimes begrudgingly. But Taekwoon, a mere satellite, doesn’t know what to do when the sun himself falls out of the sky and into his hands.

“Hakyeon, you’re not okay.”

Hakyeon sniffles, and his voice sounds ragged. “Of course I am! I’m always okay.”

Taekwoon places a hand on Hakyeon’s back, trying to send back some of the warmth Hakyeon always seems to give him through the layers of the blankets.

“You don’t have to be.”

There’s a beat of silence. Taekwoon rubs Hakyeon’s back, discretely kicking the whitening products underneath the sofa.

Taekwoon can hear Hakyeon breathe hard, in and out through his nose. In the silence of the apartment and the dull thrum of rain outside, Hakyeon finally turns to face him, and that’s when Taekwoon sees it. His dampened cheeks, dark hair sticking to his forehead, the way his knees are pulled up tight to his chin. Hakyeon’s lips have been bitten raw and his eyes are blown wide, like a deer caught in Taekwoon’s headlights.

They don’t move for a moment, breathing together in the silence of the apartment. Taekwoon reaches down, feeling for the remote, and he switches the TV off. The room is suddenly plunged into darkness, Hakyeon’s face dimly lit with the streetglow from outside. Taekwoon finds his eyes in the dark.

“What happened, Yeonnie?”

Hakyeon doesn’t reply, his eyes flickering down to his phone, which Taekwoon now sees clutched tightly in one hand.

Slowly, hesitantly, Taekwoon reaches forward into the blankets, prying Hakyeon’s phone out of his hands. He resists, curling his fingers tighter, but Taekwoon is stronger and he eventually pulls the phone out, pressing the power button.

He types in Hakyeon’s password (0524, because Hakyeon is the biggest softie on the planet) and the phone opens to the last page Hakyeon searched. Taekwoon blinks. It’s their fancafe.

“Taekwoon, don’t—”

Taekwoon holds out a hand, silencing Hakyeon. He scrolls, flicking through hundreds of comments on their page. Hakyeon had looked up a single key word, finding comments that included it.

He had searched for _ugly._

Taekwoon’s heart breaks.

_[20:54] Cha Hakyeon should consider surgery. He wasn’t meant to go natural._

_[21:43] His skin is disgusting. Hasn’t he tried bleaching?_

_[22:05] Is he even Korean? He doesn’t look like it._

_[22:58] His members must feel burdened because he’s dragging down their visuals._

He can feel Hakyeon’s eyes on his face, searching for something. Taekwoon looks up, into the eyes of the most beautiful boy he’s ever seen, and he sees Hakyeon’s eyes searching for pity.

Hakyeon’s breaths are coming shallowly, his chest heaving. He holds out a hand for his phone, imploring Taekwoon to give it back, but Taekwoon shakes his head.

“Hakyeon, these people— these people don’t mean anything.”

Even with his eyes brimming with tears and his face scrunched in an effort to not let them fall, Hakyeon manages to scoff. “Of course they do. Their opinions matter the _most_.”

Taekwoon knows. He knows how hard it is to gain the favour of the public, and how easy it is to lose it. He also knows how much Hakyeon puts on the line for them, how he takes care of each of them in their own way. Taekwoon knows how he includes Jaehwan during variety shows, how he always makes sure Wonsik MCs with him, how he lets Sanghyuk and Hongbin tease him during interviews so that they get airtime. How he’s willing to let all of them publicly push his affection away in order to pull them into the spotlight.

Taekwoon knows that Hakyeon will never tell him how hard it is.

“You’re not ugly, Cha Hakyeon.”

Hakyeon looks up, startled. His mouth falls open, as if he never thought that those words would ever leave Taekwoon’s lips. They hang heavy in the air between them, and Taekwoon doesn’t dare look away from Hakyeon’s eyes for fear that if he does, the words will disappear.

“Don’t lie to me.” Taekwoon opens his mouth to reply, but Hakyeon cuts him off. “You guys said it yourselves: I’m too dark. I’m _ugly._ ”

Taekwoon’s heart drops to his feet, heat flooding his veins, because it’s true. They did say those things.  

“Hakyeon, we meant it as a joke. We never meant to hurt you.” Taekwoon’s voice is soft, pleading.

Hakyeon’s eyes soften, just for a moment. “It’s different coming from you guys, because you guys know me.” His voice grows hard, and Taekwoon shivers. “But to them, all my skin makes me is _disgusting._ ”

“You’re not disgusting, Yeonnie. That’s the last word I would use to describe you.”

“That’s the first word they used to describe me.”

“They’re _wrong,_ ” Taekwoon says, tossing Hakyeon’s phone aside and taking his hand, squeezing his fingers. Hakyeon's hand doesn't move, laying limp in Taekwoon's palm, but he doesn’t pull out of Taekwoon’s grasp either.

“Taekwoon, I— Taekwoon, _stop._ ” Hakyeon’s voice is like ice, cold and unforgiving. Taekwoon flinches, releasing Hakyeon's hand. The rejection stings, because Hakyeon doesn’t shove him away. Ever. He’s Taekwoon’s best friend. (Taekwoon even thought that they were more than….it doesn’t matter what Taekwoon thought.)

“You don’t get it, do you? I’m ugly, and there’s nothing I can do about it. No matter how much I dance, no matter how much I smile or laugh or sing for them, I’ll still be _fucking_ _ugly_.” Hakyeon swallows hard, the tears in his eyes threatening to overflow. “You guys should just throw me out now, before we’re known as the group with an ugly member who burdens the others because he can’t become lighter.”

Taekwoon’s eyes are wide, his mouth open in shock. Hakyeon actually— Hakyeon actually _believes_ this?

Hakyeon laughs bitterly, bringing a hand up to swipe at his eyes. “Don’t they think I’ve fucking _tried?_ ” He gestures at the products on the floor. “It burns, you know. It feels like liquid fire. But I don’t care. I’m not going to bring our group down because I’m ugly. I’ll burn my skin off myself before I let that happen.”

Taekwoon’s heart drops to his feet, because Hakyeon sounds dead serious, like this is something he’s actually considered, like this is something he would actually try and _do_.

Hakyeon is looking at him defiantly, eyes hard, like he’s waiting for Taekwoon to challenge the truth of what he said. And god, Taekwoon doesn’t know how to make it better, but he knows that he at least has to try.

“Hakyeon, you’re not ugly,” Taekwoon repeats, reaching out a hand. Hakyeon recoils, pushing himself into the sofa, and Taekwoon feels like he’s been slapped. “I don’t know why you—”

“I’m failing, Taekwoon. Our group should have had a win by now but we fucking _haven’t._ How can you look at me and not see how ugly I am? It’s everywhere. Inside _and_ out.” The tears are falling now, hot and fast. “Not only am I disgusting, but I’ve failed you all as a leader. I honestly don’t know how you guys can live with me because I can barely fucking live with _myself._ ”

The instant the words leave his mouth, Hakyeon’s eyes widen, as if he never meant to say them. But Taekwoon wishes he had said them sooner.

Hakyeon has never said any of this to him before.  

Taekwoon pulls back, his back finding the armrest on the other end of the sofa. The air is tense, the storm thundering outside, a particularly large boom of thunder crackling in the distance. Hakyeon shivers and wraps his arms around his knees, watching him.

“You haven’t failed us, Hakyeon. You’re the best leader we ever could have asked for.” It’s not often that Taekwoon openly expresses gratitude to Hakyeon like this and it shows, because Hakyeon blanches, not knowing how to deal with it.

“I don’t want your pity, Taekwoon. I want us to _succeed._ And I’m the only one holding us back.”

Taekwoon doesn’t know how Hakyeon can look at himself without seeing how that simply isn’t true. Because Taekwoon sees. He sees how even though Hakyeon’s mouth smiles in interviews, his eyes don’t. He sees how hard Hakyeon works to make sure everyone perfects the choreography without stopping to take a minute for himself. How Hakyeon gives it his all for them, time and time again without question. Hakyeon’s eyes are open, but he’s blind. And it may not be his place, but Taekwoon is going to try and make Hakyeon _see._

Hakyeon notices the hesitation on his face and he looks at Taekwoon like his mind is made up, like Hakyeon knew all along that he’d be better off going this alone.

“Anyways.” Hakyeon sniffles, looking away. “Thanks for listening to me vent, Taekwoon. I owe you one. Let me clean this up and we can forget that this ever hap—”

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

Hakyeon’s eyes snap back to Taekwoon’s, his mouth agape, but Taekwoon doesn’t waver. He can’t. He won’t.

“You don’t have to say that—”

“I’m saying it because it’s true. I don’t know how you don’t see it.” Taekwoon holds Hakyeon’s gaze, his voice clear. He doesn’t let Hakyeon look away from him, because he needs to _know._  

“These people talking shit about you are _jealous._ They’re jealous because they’re unsuccessful, they’re unhappy with themselves and living lives that they don’t want. And they make themselves feel better by saying horrible things about you, someone who _is_ successful, happy and living the life that they want.”

Hakyeon is silent, biting his lip. Raindrops slide down the windows behind him, like tears.

“And shit, Hakyeon, you’re fucking _breathtaking._ The way you hold the audience’s gaze, the way people can’t help but turn their heads when they see you— it’s because you’re astounding. Inside and out.”

Taekwoon moves closer, placing a hand on top of Hakyeon’s. He doesn’t pull away, which is a good sign.

“And I know the kids make fun of you —god, I do it too— but it’s because they love you. They just don’t know how else to say it.” Taekwoon pries Hakyeon’s hands off of his knees, holding them in his own. His fingers are cold, and Taekwoon squeezes them, trying to warm him up.

“You don’t think I see how you break your back for us? You don’t think I see you fight with our manager to make sure everyone gets fair screentime? Or how you get up to send Sanghyuk to school every morning and wait for Wonsik to come home every night? You’re not a failure, Hakyeon. If anything, we’ve failed _you._ ” Hakyeon shakes his head at this, still holding onto Taekwoon’s hands. A lone tear slides down his cheek.

“You’re not bringing us down. You’re the only reason that we’re staying afloat,” Taekwoon says, his voice cracking. He brushes Hakyeon’s cheek with a thumb, heart jumping at the unfamiliar tenderness of the gesture. “You didn’t have to do this alone.”

Hakyeon’s gaze falls, his voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t want to burden anyone.”

Taekwoon is suddenly overcome, and is surprised to find himself fighting back tears. He swallows hard, his next words stuck in his throat. But he needs to say them, because they’ve always been true. And if there’s one thing Taekwoon knows, looking at the slumped, tear-streaked Hakyeon in front of him now, is that they always will be.

“Cha Hakyeon, to bear your burdens would be my privilege.”

Hakyeon’s shoulders begin to shake, hands coming up to cover his face, tears spilling onto Taekwoon’s hands.

“You don’t always have to be so strong, Yeonnie. I’ve got you, okay? I’m right here.”

Hakyeon’s head is lowered, Taekwoon’s words echoing in the silence of their apartment. The wind howls outside, the rain drumming against the windows, and it seems like the world doesn’t exist outside of their living room, right here in this moment.

Hakyeon looks up, his eyes wet and broken, and Taekwoon is suddenly reminded of the ocean.

“ _Taekwoon._ ” His name is choked out on a sob, and in that single breath, Taekwoon’s heart shatters.

Hakyeon falls forward, arms outstretched and Taekwoon is ready, catching him and pulling him close. Pushing the blankets aside, Taekwoon wraps his arms around Hakyeon, hugging him with everything that he couldn’t say, his heart full enough to burst.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Taekwoon murmurs, rubbing Hakyeon’s back. He shifts into an open-legged position, settling one foot on the floor so he can bring Hakyeon more onto his lap.

Hakyeon doesn’t really hug him him back as much as he sags into Taekwoon, his face pressed into the crook of Taekwoon’s neck, arms hanging limply at his sides, knees settling on either side of Taekwoon’s hips. Taekwoon holds him in the darkness of their living room, rain blanketing them in soft noise, murmuring a steady mantra of _I’ve got you, it’s okay, I’ve got you_ into Hakyeon’s hair, Taekwoon’s arms wrapped tightly around him.

Hakyeon whimpers, soft noises against the sounds of the storm and Taekwoon closes his eyes, a few treacherous tears leaking from the corners.

Hakyeon’s body is shockingly pliable, collapsing immediately into Taekwoon’s touch, like a house of cards that’s stood for too long, blown over by the merest sigh or gust of wind. It makes Taekwoon wonder how long Hakyeon has held this in, how long he’s needed to let go but felt like he just _couldn’t_. How long has it been since someone stopped to comfort Hakyeon? How long has it been since any of them made sure Hakyeon was _okay?_

Too long. Shame heats the back of Taekwoon’s neck because they should have seen it sooner, goddamnit. _He_ should have seen it sooner. Hakyeon gives all of himself to them, time and time again, and they never turned around and thanked him for it. And the public has the _fucking_ _audacity_ to shit on him for it.

Hakyeon’s shoulders aren’t strong enough to bear the weight of the world alone.

Taekwoon strokes the back of Hakyeon’s head, his arm snug around his waist, and he makes an executive decision. Hakyeon will never have to do this alone ever again.

Hakyeon lifts his head from Taekwoon’s shoulder, wiping his nose with a sleeve. He pulls back slightly, his head still lowered, breaths laboured.

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon whispers, gently tilting Hakyeon’s chin up. “I’m right here, baby.”

The endearment slips out without his permission and Taekwoon surprises himself again, his heart skipping a beat when Hakyeon’s eyes suddenly jerk up to meet his. If he notices the moisture on Taekwon’s face (because Hakyeon notices everything), he says nothing, his eyes big and glassy. They shine in the dim light of the street, the tear tracks on Hakyeon’s damp cheeks glistening in the moonlight, his lower lip worried between his teeth.

“You’re incredible, Cha Hakyeon.” Taekwoon will never get tired of saying it because it’ll never stop being true, and as Hakyeon starts to shake his head, Taekwoon braces his hands on his shoulders, imploring Hakyeon to look into his eyes. Fuck those people on their fanpage. Fuck publicity, fuck fame, _fuck_ _all of it_. All that matters, all that’s ever going to matter, is the person in front of him right now.

“Cha Hakyeon, you are the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

Hakyeon closes his eyes, tears silently spilling from the corners, streaking down his cheeks. And Taekwoon’s heart, well— Taekwoon’s heart bursts.

He catches himself off guard for the third time tonight, because Taekwoon suddenly finds himself leaning forward, brushing his lips against Hakyeon’s right eyelid. He pauses there for a moment, breathing, before doing the same to his left. Taekwoon hears Hakyeon’s sudden intake of breath and his heart stutters, but he’s determined. Hakyeon has to understand that he’s cared for _._ More than they ever let him know. 

“Your heart is too big for this world.”

Taekwoon presses his lips to Hakyeon’s forehead, smoothing his hands up and down his back, and Hakyeon exhales, finally relaxing into Taekwoon’s touch.

“You mean more to us than I can ever say,” Taekwoon whispers against his skin, and he feels Hakyeon let out a shuddering sigh.

“I’m sorry we never told you, Hakyeon. You deserve to hear it every day.” Taekwoon draws back, staring into Hakyeon’s eyes, the deep browns that break him when they flutter shut at midnight and put Taekwoon back together again when they crack open at dawn.

“You’re beautiful,” Taekwoon says, and he means it, more than anything else he’s said before in his life. Tears well up again in Hakyeon’s eyes, and Taekwoon presses his thumbs gently against the corners, as if he can stop them from spilling out.

Not breaking eye contact, Taekwoon rests a hand on Hakyeon’s chest. His heart thunders beneath Taekwoon’s fingers, the tears from Hakyeon’s eyes falling like rain.

“Inside” —Taekwoon presses his hand against Hakyeon’s heart— “and out.”

Hakyeon’s face crumples and Taekwoon swallows hard, pulling Hakyeon closer. Hakyeon presses his cheek to Taekwoon’s shoulder and Taekwoon inhales deeply, his nose filling with the scent of lavender perfume and pine body wash that lingers around their home. He rocks Hakyeon gently, his lips whispering a steady flow of  _I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry_ into Hakyeon’s ear. Tears seep into the hem of Taekwoon’s shirt, Hakyeon’s chest heaving against his.

“I lo—we love you, Yeonnie.” Taekwoon’s voice is soft and he stutters, catching himself at the last moment.

Taekwoon doesn’t know how long he rocks Hakyeon for. Time doesn’t exist in their moonlit living room, the rain cocooning them in a moment that belongs only to them. Eventually, Hakyeon’s breaths begin to even out, his sniffles less frequent. Their couch is big enough for two so Taekwoon eases him down, Hakyeon’s back to his chest, his own against the sofa.

As adverse to Hakyeon’s public advances as he may pretend to be, Taekwoon isn’t actually a stranger to cuddling with him. Hakyeon only slides into his bed on the nights that it gets really bad, nestling in Taekwoon's arms until the morning comes and Hakyeon silently slips out, never mentioning it the next day, never seeing the look of longing behind him.

This is different though, because back then Hakyeon needed Taekwoon’s arms around him for strength, for reassurance, for a moment to rest _._ Now, Hakyeon needs Taekwoon to slow him down, to settle his feet back on the ground, to _breathe._ And Taekwoon is well aware of this, drawing a blanket over the both of them, wrapping his arms around Hakyeon’s waist, tangling his legs with his own.

Taekwoon is one year into his career, his best friend falling apart in his arms and his future uncertain, but he’s sure of one thing. There’s only one boy who can make Taekwoon feel like he’s flying and grounded at the same time, that his soul is light and his heart is full, that he’s thankful he only has one life to live because he wouldn’t want to spend another with anyone else.

That boy is in Taekwoon’s arms right now, breaths slowing as sleep takes him, his lashes fanning out across his cheeks.

The rain pours outside, but it seems to be more gentle now, pattering softly against the windows. The thunder crackles in the distance, further away, and the clouds sigh. The _I love you_ that Taekwoon breathes into Hakyeon’s hair is swallowed by the rain, the words fading into the night, and he will never know if Hakyeon heard them. He closes his eyes, and with Hakyeon held tightly against him, Taekwoon finally falls asleep.

                                                                                                         ******

That’s how the kids find them later, Taekwoon spooning Hakyeon on their couch, their living room cluttered with seemingly random items. The apartment is quiet when Jaehwan unlocks the door, shushing a giggling Hongbin and motioning for Wonsik to take off his shoes. Sanghyuk’s already darted into the living room, hand reaching for the light switch when Jaehwan's ears suddenly perk up and he hears it. 

The gentle rumble of Taekwoon's snores.

Jaehwan lunges forward, slapping Sanghyuk’s hand from the switch. Sanghyuk turns to him, eyebrows raised and lips parting in question, but Jaehwan claps a hand over his mouth, jerking his head towards the couch. Hongbin and Wonsik wander over, and the four of them peer over the back of their sofa.

Taekwoon’s arm is thrown over Hakyeon’s waist, unconsciously holding him close even in sleep, their legs twined together. Hakyeon’s lips are parted, face relaxed, his chest rising and falling. Glancing around, Jaehwan makes note of the tissues strewn about, the wine on the table, Hakyeon’s phone on the floor, the stray beauty products around the couch.

Taekwoon’s protective arms around Hakyeon.

He may not be the eldest, but that doesn’t mean Jaehwan isn’t perceptive. Sometimes he thinks maybe a little too much so for his own good.

Motioning the others to follow him, Jaehwan leads them into the kitchen, gathering them around the island. He leans with his back against it, and makes sure to speak in a low voice, because the last thing he wants to do is disturb what’s going on in the living room right now.

“Tomorrow morning, we’re not going to bring up what we just saw, okay?”

Sanghyuk looks confused. “Why? It’s not like Taekwoon hyung and Hakyeon hyung haven’t cuddled together before.”

Jaehwan pauses, considering his words. He knew Hakyeon hadn’t been having an easy time of it lately, but he had no idea it was this bad. As in, bad enough for Taekwoon to publicly wrap him in his arms to make sure that he was okay, knowing full well that they would all inevitably see.

“Sometimes, Hakyeon hyung has— Hakyeon hyung needs a little bit of extra love.” Jaehwan pauses. “Because sometimes he’s not okay.”

“He’s not okay?” Hongbin asks, voice pitched up at the end. Jaehwan shakes his head.

“I think we should all work on showing him some love, okay? We need to appreciate him a little more.”

To Jaehwan’s surprise, it’s Wonsik who nods first. “He’s been looking really tired lately.”

“Exactly. I’m sure there are a lot of things he’s not telling us about.”

Sanghyuk’s brows furrow, his forehead creasing. “Why wouldn’t he tell us? Does he think that we can’t handle it?”

“I don’t think that he,” Jaehwan chooses his words carefully, “wants to bother us. Because in his eyes, we already have it hard enough as a rookie group. So he probably thinks that he’d be adding to that.”

“Even though he’s super annoying, that kind of stuff would never bother us.” Hongbin says, glancing around as the others nod in agreement.

Jaehwan’s lips quirk, his heart warming. “I think the best thing that we can do is to show him that we care. Taekwoon hyung’s already started, so I think that we can continue, right?”

They nod again, and Jaehwan smiles, sending them off to bed. He worries about Hakyeon sometimes, especially after the year that they’ve had. Hakyeon’s always worked too hard and been too willing to spread himself thin for the sake of their group. But as Jaehwan glances over his shoulder, looking at the two bodies twined around each other on their couch, he’s thankful that finally, Hakyeon gets to breathe. He pauses, watching as Taekwoon sleepily pulls Hakyeon closer to him, and Jaehwan smiles wryly to himself. For all the tabloids that say Taekwoon is cold, that’s he's rude, that he’s heartless— Jaehwan wonders if they would say the same things if they could see him now.

Jaehwan doesn’t know how anyone could possibly call Taekwoon heartless when he's holding his heart in his arms right now. 

Turning away, Jaehwan heads out of the kitchen, making his way to his room. The rain has cleared up, moonlight shining through the windows, and the sky finally goes to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> i think there are times that everyone needs to be reminded that they're doing a good job and that they're loved. i hope that this piece (and taekwoon's hugs) helped you feel a little better if you needed that reminder. <3  
> comments are always, always appreciated (◕‿◕✿)  
> & come say hi on twt @yoongis_smile !! i have snacks


End file.
